Written Answers Tuesday 9 February 2010

Scottish Executive

Credit Unions

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of primary school pupils has access to a school-based credit union savings scheme.

Michael Russell: This information is not held centrally.

Education

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what evidence it has of the effectiveness of team teaching in primary schools.

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what evidence it has that team teaching brings the same benefits to children as smaller class sizes.

Michael Russell: Team teaching happens in some primary schools in some parts of Scotland reflecting local circumstances and needs. The deployment of team teaching approaches is a matter for schools and local authorities. It offers potential for pupils to experience wider ranges of learning experiences and approaches, and for two teachers to engage with more children to support their learning. As is the case in single teacher settings, the same issues apply in team teaching settings to ensure children experience high-quality learning, namely that teachers need to plan lessons carefully to meet individual needs and teaching approaches need to be such as to enthuse children in their learning.

Equalities

Hugh O'Donnell (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive who paid for the race equality conference held at the Beardmore Hotel in Clydebank on 15 December 2009 and what the cost was.

Alex Neil: In line with the commitment made in our Race Equality Statement, the Scottish Government hosted the Race Equality Conference, the cost of the conference was £18,029.30.

Finance

Andy Kerr (East Kilbride) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish the profile of every infrastructure project of over £10 million.

John Swinney: The Scottish Government is committed to delivering a tightly managed and sustainable capital programme. We publish details of our proposed capital spending plans in the annual draft budget, provide six-monthly reports to the Public Audit Committee on major capital projects and set out three yearly plans in the Scottish Spending Review. The Infrastructure Investment Plan is published with the express purpose of providing a 10 year perspective on capital projects. The key judgement in assessing the implementation of that programme will be the capital budgets that are available to us.

Finance

Andy Kerr (East Kilbride) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail which capital projects experienced cost overruns of £1 million and more in (a) 2007-08, (b) 2008-09 and (c) 2009-10.

John Swinney: The Scottish Government is committed to delivering a tightly managed and sustainable capital programme, which includes effective governance and management of individual capital projects. We report annually to Parliament on actual expenditure compared with the approved budget. In the past financial year 2008-09 the government spent its capital budget to within £5 million of the Capital DEL (Departmental Expenditure Limit) budget of over £3.3 billion.

Finance

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-29588 by John Swinney on 16 December 2009, what proportion and value of funding to support the Scottish budget was non-recurring in 2008-09 and is non-recurring in 2009-10.

John Swinney: End year flexibility accounted for £313 million and £400 million of the Scottish funding for 2008-09 and 2009-10 respectively. Asset sales accounted for £25 million in 2008-09, the 2009-10 figure is not yet available. One-off Barnett consequentials accounted for a further £19 million in 2009-10. In total these sources of funding account for less than 2% of the Scottish Government’s total Departmental Expenditure Limit funding.

First Minister

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what schools and hospitals the First Minister has visited since July 2009.

John Swinney: The First Minister has visited Montrose Academy, St Brigid’s Primary Glasgow, Cults Academy and Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. The Cabinet Secretary for Education has visited 16 schools and the Cabinet Secretary for Health has visited 13 hospitals since July 2009.

  In addition the First Minister undertook a visit to Sunnybank Nursing Home in Aberdeenshire on New Year’s Day.

First Minister

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria are used in declaring which countries the First Minister should visit; what consultation is undertaken with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office or other UK Government departments regarding such visits, and who is responsible for authorising the expenditure.

Fiona Hyslop: The First Minister travels overseas in order to undertake activity which supports the Scottish Government’s purpose of creating a more successful country by increasing sustainable economic growth. All visits must represent good value for the Scottish Government and the taxpayer.

  The Foreign and Commonwealth Office are informed of all ministerial visits overseas and officials work closely with them and other stakeholders and organisations to prepare such visits.

Health

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) critical incident reviews were carried out and (b) stillbirths occurred in each NHS board area in (i) 2007, (ii) 2008 and (iii) 2009

Shona Robison: (a) The information requested on critical incident reviews is not centrally available.

  (b) For the this part of the question, on stillbirths, the numbers of stillbirths by NHS board area are published regularly by the General Register Office for Scotland (GROS). This information requested can be found on the GROS Website:

  The stillbirths figures for 2007 and 2008 are available from in the Vital Events Reference Table 1.3:

  http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/statistics/publications-and-data/vital-events/index.html

  Preliminary figures for 2009 are scheduled to be published on 11 March 2010, in Table P2 of the "2009" version of "Births, Marriages and Deaths - Preliminary Annual", which should then be available via this address:

  http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/statistics/publications-and-data/preliminary-return/index.html.

  (at present, this link gives access to the "2008" version).

  Figures for each of the first three quarters of 2009 are available from Table Q2 in the relevant editions of "Births, Marriages and Deaths - Quarterly figures":

  http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/statistics/publications-and-data/quarter/index.html.

Health

Jim Tolson (Dunfermline West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to mainstream social prescribing in the NHS.

Shona Robison: A significant range of activity linking patients in primary care with nonmedical sources of support within the community is supported, and these all contribute to the mainstreaming of social prescribing.

  The General Medical Services contract incentivises GP practices through the Quality and Outcomes Framework to manage a range of issues related to health and wellbeing by non-pharmacological means including smoking cessation; dietary advice and weight management; exercise and exercise referral programmes, including for the purposes of rehabilitation (cardiac, musculoskeletal, mental health) through referrals to specific local schemes.

  Clinicians in Scotland are expected, as good practice, to take account of the SIGN Guidelines in the relevant areas of their practice. SIGN guidelines have commended non-pharmaceutical prescribing such as art and music therapy, etc. in various guidelines e.g. SIGN Guideline 86 – Management of patients with dementia (February 2006); SIGN Guideline 98 – Assessment, diagnosis and clinical interventions for children and young people with autism spectrum disorders (June 2007), and SIGN Guideline 114 – Non-pharmaceutical management of depression in adults (Jan 2010).

  In 2007 the Scottish Government published, jointly with the Scottish Development Centre for Mental Health, Developing Social Prescribing and Community referrals for Mental Health in Scotland a resource on using non-medical interventions to improve mental health.

  This was primarily aimed at the primary care sector and community health and community planning partnerships but more widely at community and voluntary sector organisations and those working in sports, leisure, arts and education.

  We are developing the promotion of physical activity in primary care, which will include exercise on referral. Health Scotland have already developed guidance on the evidence base for promoting physical activity aimed at primary care professionals and a training package to give practitioners the skills and confidence to provide brief advice to patients is currently being rolled out across Scotland. Further work includes an exercise referral toolkit which will be published in the near future and a review of existing tools for screening and measurement. In addition an audit of current exercise referral schemes across Scotland is currently being carried out.

  The Keep Well and Well North programmes of inequalities targeted health checks also incorporate a great range of community based supports, including the use of health coaches and volunteers to support patients to change their behaviours as well as helping people towards or into employment and developing literacy skills.

Health

Jim Tolson (Dunfermline West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on a right to request to allow NHS staff to establish a social enterprise to deliver primary and community care.

Nicola Sturgeon: It is for NHS boards to plan and provide the services required to meet the health care needs of their resident populations, including primary and community care services.

  However, the Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that social enterprises and third sector organisations have a key role to play in the development and delivery of public services in Scotland and work will continue with our partners in the public sector, local government and the third sector to ensure that the contribution such organisations can make to improving the health of the people in Scotland is maximised.

Health

Willie Coffey (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-30253 by Shona Robison on 26 January 2010, what steps it is taking to identify the prevalence of haemochromatosis, broken down by (a) age group and (b) gender.

Shona Robison: There are currently no plans to identify the prevalence of haemochromatosis.

Health

Willie Coffey (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive in how many NHS boards haemochromatosis patients are treated with (a) venesection therapy and (b) phlebotomy in (i) hospital outpatient or community-based clinics and (ii) hospital wards.

Shona Robison: Information on haemochromatosis patients treated with venesection (phlebotomy) therapy is available for acute hospital inpatients and daycases. Information on procedures is not recorded for outpatient attendances and is not available centrally for community-based clinics. The following table shows numbers of patients treated in hospital at which a diagnosis of haemochromatosis and also a procedure venesection is recorded.

  Table: patients with a diagnosis of haemochromatosis with venesection also recorded, by NHS board of treatment; financial year 2008-09:

  

NHS Board of Treatment
Number of Patients


Ayrshire and Arran
91


Borders
-


Dumfries and Galloway
-


Fife
109


Forth Valley
-


Grampian
2


Greater Glasgow
390


Highland
8


Lanarkshire
219


Lothian
141


Orkney
2


Shetland
2


Tayside
10


Western Isles
-



  Source: Information Services Division: SMR01.

Health

Willie Coffey (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-30253 by Shona Robison on 26 January 2010 by what methods it is assessing the (a) positive and (b) negative impacts of the introduction of a Scotland-only screening programme for haemochromatosis.

Willie Coffey (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it has given to the introduction of (a) age and (b) gender-specific screening programmes for haemochromatosis.

Shona Robison: The Scottish Government has committed to an evidence-based approach to screening and is given expert, independent advice on screening programmes by the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC). The UK NSC sets out the criteria to assess screening programmes; the introduction of proposed new population screening programmes; the modification and withdrawal of existing programmes, and the quality and management of such programmes.

  The UK NSC currently advises that a national screening programme for Haemochromatosis should not be introduced. However, this advice is currently under review.

Healthcare Associated Infection

Willie Coffey (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients being treated for haemochromatosis have been infected with (a) Clostridium difficile and (b) MRSA in each year since the introduction of monitoring for these infections.

Shona Robison: Information is not held centrally on the number of people who have haemochromatosis and have been infected with Clostridium difficile or MRSA.

Higher Education

Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans ministers have to replace the Graduates for Business scheme.

Jim Mather: The Scottish Government is spending £3.5 million through the Scottish Funding Council in this academic year to support skills and employability initiatives focused on work-related learning and placements; entrepreneurship, and workforce development.

  The closure of the existing Graduates for Business Scheme, which was administered by Scottish Enterprise, followed an independent evaluation which highlighted concerns about geographic coverage and the consistency of the programme. I therefore welcome Scottish Enterprise’s plans to have an alternative programme in place by the end of June that will address these issues and deliver even better value for money.

Higher Education

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many students have participated in each of the last three years in two-plus-two degrees in which a university and college co-operate to offer a four-year joint course.

Michael Russell: We do not hold the specific information requested centrally.

Justice

Andy Kerr (East Kilbride) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how the (a) estimated capital value and (b) timescale of the Scottish Crime Campus at Gartcosh compares with the original project cost and timescale estimates.

Kenny MacAskill: The project was launched in January 2007 with an estimated cost of £65 million and a target date for completion of late 2010. The project has increased in size and scope and, subject to contract, the current estimated cost is £82 million and full occupation is planned for mid 2013.

Justice

James Kelly (Glasgow Rutherglen) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many DNA samples have been retained since 1 January 2007 relating to defendants who have been prosecuted but not convicted.

Kenny MacAskill: Between the dates of 1 January 2007 and 1 February 2010, 2,424 DNA samples have been retained from those who have been prosecuted but not convicted for a relevant sexual or violent offence under section 18A of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995.

NHS Staff

Dave Thompson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many rheumatologists are working in Scotland and where they are based.

Nicola Sturgeon: Information on staff in post is published annually by National Services Scotland, Information Services Division (ISD) Scotland as part of the workforce census as at 30 September each year. Data for hospital, community and public health services medical and dental staff by specialty, grade, NHS region and NHS board is available at http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/5896.html .

NHS Staff

Ross Finnie (West of Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding is being made available for the Family Nurse Partnership pilot in Lothian.

Shona Robison: The Scottish Government will be providing NHS Lothian with £1.6 million to support the test of the Family Nurse Partnership Programme, in Edinburgh City Health Partnership (CHP), until the first cohort of children reaches two.

NHS Staff

Ross Finnie (West of Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated cost per client per year will be of delivering the Family Nurse Partnership.

Shona Robison: Due to the phased delivery of this programme, it is not possible to break down costs on an annual basis. The programme is delivered to each client over a two and a half year period. However, some clients may receive more or less than this, depending on when they engaged with the programme, and the number of visits for each phase is different and, in pregnancy at least, do not cover a full year.

  A formative evaluation of implementation of the first 10 Family Nurse Partnership sites in England is being conducted by Birkbeck, University of London. This will conclude in 2011 and will include an assessment of costs.

Older People

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to offer vaccinations to prevent shingles in older people.

Shona Robison: The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation has recommended that a herpes zoster (shingles) vaccination programme be introduced to vaccinate people aged between 70 and 79, if a licensed vaccine is available at cost effective price.

  The Scottish Government is now working with the Department of Health and the other devolved administrations on a procurement exercise to establish whether a cost effective vaccine can be obtained.

Osteoporosis

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the osteoporosis direct enhanced service will be continued in 2010-11.

Shona Robison: Yes. The Osteoporosis Scottish Direct Enhanced Service will continue in 2010-11.

Regeneration

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are being taken to sustain employment in Caithness and North Sutherland in light of the decommissioning of Dounreay, given that it supports one in four jobs in the area.

Jim Mather: The Scottish Government through the Government Economic Strategy and Economic Recovery Plan is focused on creating a more successful country, with opportunities for all of Scotland to flourish, through increasing sustainable economic growth.

  The Scottish Government, working as part of the Caithness and North Sutherland Regeneration Partnership, has developed an action plan which contains a series of prioritised actions designed to broaden the area’s economy and mitigate the effects of decommissioning.

  Highlands and Islands Enterprise has funded five full-time senior posts to assist in delivering these actions, including actively working with the Dounreay supply chain to explore diversification and spin out opportunities and working closely with a number of high growth local companies to ensure that opportunities to grow or sustain employment are realised. To date, it has committed an extra £5.2 million to counter the effects of the decommissioning at Dounreay with 246 new jobs announced in 2008 and 2009. HIE funding has supported the creation of a major new facility for NES Engineering, further broadening the capacity of the area to attract large engineering work. An alliance of seven local companies are now working to attract new engineering business to the area.

  The partnership is also focused on realising the economic benefits available from renewable energy, specifically those from the emerging wave and tidal power industry. This is expected to offer medium and long term employment opportunities requiring skills similar to those held by individuals currently working at Dounreay or the wider Dounreay supply chain.

Regeneration

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what long-term approaches are being taken to sustain economic growth and regeneration in Caithness in light of the decommissioning of Dounreay and the loss of £80 million to the local economy.

Jim Mather: The Scottish Government remains focused on delivering our core purpose of increasing sustainable economic growth across Scotland including Caithness and Sutherland.

  The Caithness and North Sutherland Regeneration Partnership brings together, the Scottish Government, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Highland Council and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority to drive forward new initiatives to counteract the effects that the decommissioning of Dounreay will have on the area’s economy. The partnership has developed an action plan which contains a series of prioritised actions designed to broaden the area’s economy.

  One area the partners are focused on is realising the economic benefits available from renewable energy, specifically those from the emerging wave and tidal power industry around the Pentland Firth and from the forthcoming offshore wind developments in the Moray Firth. The Crown Estate is expected to announce the results of its seabed leasing round for the Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters in March 2010 and the partners will at this point publish a programme of activities to secure maximum economic benefit for the area. In addition, the Pentland Firth Coordination Committee, comprising the Crown Estate, Scottish Government, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Orkney Islands Council and Highland Council is also working to capture the economic benefits associated with delivering the target of 700 MW of installed marine energy capacity in the area by 2020.

Renewable Energy

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure that guidance on the cumulative impact of wind farm developments is being considered in relation to applications for extensions to existing wind farms.

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure that guidance on the cumulative impact of wind farm developments is being considered in relation to applications for new wind farms.

Jim Mather: It is for planning authorities to ensure that, where relevant, applicants adequately address the cumulative impact that their proposal would have on the area. When doing so, authorities should take account of existing wind farms, those which have permission and valid applications for wind farms which have not been determined.

Renewable Energy

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on whether there is a maximum number of wind farms that local communities can sustain.

Jim Mather: Planning authorities should set out in development plans a spatial framework for onshore wind farms of over 20 megawatts generating capacity. This should identify areas where the cumulative impact of existing and consented wind farms limits further development.

Renewable Energy

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of the total number of wind farms is located in the Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley constituency.

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of the total number of wind turbines is located in the Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley constituency.

Jim Mather: Applications for onshore wind farms in excess of 50 megawatts (MW) are considered by Scottish ministers under Section 36 of the Electricity Act (1989) and a total of 30 wind farms in Scotland have been consented in this way.

  Information on such developments is available by local authority areas. Of the 30 consented wind farms (under Section 36) five are located in South and East Ayrshire local authorities, representing about 17 per cent in terms of wind farms, 25 per cent in terms of turbine numbers and 11 per cent in terms of installed capacity.

  Applications for wind farms below 50 megawatts are considered by the relevant local planning authority.

Renewable Energy

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many jobs have been created by wind farm developments.

Jim Mather: The information requested is not held centrally.

  However, analysis for the UK Department for Business, Innovation and Skills suggests that there are around 8,000 jobs in the wind energy sector in Scotland.

Renewable Energy

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of jobs related to wind farm developments is located in Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley constituency.

Jim Mather: The information requested is not held centrally.

Renewable Energy

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the total amount is of community benefit funding allocated to local organisations as a result of wind farm developments, broken down by parliamentary constituency.

Jim Mather: The information requested is not held centrally. Community benefit agreements for wind farms are a private matter between the developer and communities concerned. The Scottish Government has no legal powers to compel parties to disclose the commercial details of such agreements.

  The Scottish Government welcomes the commitment shown by developers through these voluntary agreements and has published guidance and models for delivery online at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/261186.

Renewable Energy

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what areas in the Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley constituency it considers unsuitable for (a) new and (b) additional wind farm developments.

Jim Mather: This is a matter for the relevant planning authorities to consider when preparing their spatial policies.

Scottish Government Expenditure

Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been spent on bottled water for its directorates in each year since 1999.

John Swinney: The Scottish Government (SG) purchases bottled water for use in free standing water coolers and through the SG Catering Contract.

  We are currently in the process of removing bottled water coolers from staff areas across the SG estate to be replaced by mains water units. A small number of water coolers will remain, mainly in public and communal areas.

  The supply of still bottled water through the catering contract ceased in August 2008 and was replaced by mains water. Bottled sparkling water can be supplied when required.

  These initiatives are realising both financial and carbon savings.

  The following tables set out the costs for purchases of bottled water for both water coolers and through the catering contract. Financial information on water coolers is only available from 2004 and for bottled water from 2003.

  Water Coolers

  

2004-05
£50,923


2005-06
£85,272


2006-07
£77,474


2007-08
£80,085


2008-09
£71,911


April to December 2009
£51,168



  Bottled Water

  

2003-04
£32,118


2004-05
£42,798


2005-06
£46,911


2006-07
£54,789


2007-08
£61,306


2008-09
£26,597 


April 2009 to January 2010
£1,443

Tourism

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to support green tourism in Ayrshire.

Jim Mather: Sustainable tourism or "green" tourism is critical to the development and maintenance of any successful tourism destination. VisitScotland encourages tourism businesses to take part in the GTBS and Going Green Schemes. It is also about to launch a programme of sustainable tourism activity across Scotland which aims to promote business growth through the development of sustainable tourism practices. This work involves a number of other partners including Scottish Enterprise, the Energy Savings Trust and Scottish Natural Heritage. Currently, there are 15 accommodation providers and 12 visitor attractions in Ayrshire that participate in the Green Tourism Business Scheme.

Tourism

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to support businesses in Ayrshire involved in green tourism.

Jim Mather: Sustainable tourism or "green" tourism is critical to the development and maintenance of any successful tourism destination. VisitScotland encourages businesses across Scotland to take part in the GTBS and Going Green Schemes. They are also about to launch a programme of sustainable tourism activity across Scotland which aims to promote business growth through the development of sustainable tourism practices. This work involves a number of other partners including Scottish Enterprise, the Energy Savings Trust and Scottish Natural Heritage. Currently, there are 15 accommodation providers and 12 visitor attractions in Ayrshire that participate in the Green Tourism Business Scheme.

Weather

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the (a) dates of and (b) ministers who attended each meeting in the Scottish Government Resilience Room between 21 December 2009 and 8 January 2010.

John Swinney: The Scottish Government Resilience Room (SGoRR) was activated on 22 December in relation to the severe weather being experienced across Scotland. Scottish ministers were briefed on the severe weather and its consequences every day from 22 December 2009 to 18 January 2010, including across the Christmas and New Year period when officials in Scottish Resilience were in close contact each day with the Duty Minister.

  The Duty Ministers during the Christmas and New Year period were:

  Ministerial Duty Rota

  24 December – Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change

  25 December – Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change

  26 December – Minister for Public Health and Sport

  27 December – Minister for Public Health and Sport

  28 December – Cabinet Secretary for Justice

  29 December – Cabinet Secretary for Justice

  30 December - Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change

  31 December - Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change

  1 January - Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth

  2 January - Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth

  3 January - Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment

  4 January - Minister for Environment.

  The remit of SGoRR when activated is to monitor on behalf of Scottish ministers potential or ongoing incidents at a Scotland-wide level, in order to set the Scottish Government’s strategic response priorities and ensure that the activity of government is best focussed to support responders and others in dealing with the event.

  The Cabinet Sub-Committee on Scottish Government Resilience met in the Scottish Government Resilience Room on the following dates between 21 December 2009 and 8 January 2010:

  

Date
Subject of Meeting


Monday, 4 January
Severe Weather


Wednesday, 6 January
Severe Weather


Thursday, 7 January
Severe Weather


Thursday, 7 January
Influenza A (H1N1) Pandemic


Friday, 8 January
Severe Weather



  Membership of the cabinet sub-committee, when convened to discuss the above-mentioned issues, is as detailed in the following table:

  

Severe Weather
Influenza A (H1N1) Pandemic


First Minister (Chair)
Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing (Chair)


Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing
First Minister


Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth
Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth


Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning
Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning


Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment
Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment


Cabinet Secretary for Justice
Cabinet Secretary for Justice


Minister for Environment
Lord Advocate


Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change
Minister for Public Health and Sport



  In line with the practice of previous administrations, and in keeping with the principle of collective responsibility, we do not publish details of attendance at specific meetings of the Cabinet or its sub-committees.

Weather

Jack McConnell (Motherwell and Wishaw) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how ministers will identify lessons learned from the recent adverse weather conditions at the end of December 2009 and beginning of January 2010 and how any recommendations will be taken forward.

Kenny MacAskill: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-31143 on 5 February 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx .